


Not The Worst

by lexiconartist



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Swearing, apartment!AU, honestly this is just 8k of junhoe mooning, slight crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:19:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexiconartist/pseuds/lexiconartist
Summary: “Sorry, spaced out, what?"Jinhwan squinted, “You just want me to stroke your fruit-flavored ego.”“No, what? No. I actually didn’t hear you.”“I asked if I could have another taste of the ice cream.”“Oh, yeah–” he looked down to see his empty cup, “wait no, sorry, I ate it all.”(or; Junhoe finds himself going out on spontaneous ice-cream dates with his new neighbor and he may or may not lose a lot of sleep over it.)





	Not The Worst

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own ikon! my work is purely for entertainment purposes and never meant to impose on the lives of the real people they're inspired by.

Junhoe stretched out on his bed and sighed, hard. He was _bored_.

Yunhyeong was studying again and a co-worker had asked to switch their shifts at work so he had nothing to do. Sometimes he’d listen to the muffled sounds coming from the other side of the wall and guess at what the neighbors were doing, but even that was a fruitless effort. Considering the guys next door recently moved in, anything that Junhoe heard was chalked up to unpacking boxes and shifting furniture. Boring boxes and boring furniture. 

Junhoe sighed again.

A frustrated groan from Yunhyeong’s room reached his own and Junhoe knew his roommate was going to complain about not being able to focus, yet he couldn’t be bothered to look apologetic.

“Junhoe.”

Junhoe props his head up to see Yunhyeong giving him a deadpan look from his doorway.

“Yes?” 

He might not look apologetic but he sure as hell tried to look clueless.

“You’ve been lying in bed and sighing loudly for thirty minutes.”

“…Yes?”

Whenever Yunhyeong shook his head the frayed strands he’s run his fingers through looked like they were dancing, which amused Junhoe briefly.

“I can’t focus. You’re bored, this is your ‘I’m bored’ sigh, so find something to do. I need to study.”

“But–”

“Nope! Out! I swear if you don’t get out, I won’t cook for a week,” Yunhyeong was having none of it apparently.

They stared at each other silently and eventually Junhoe relented. Before he knew it his phone and hoodie were shoved at him and he was being shooed out of his own apartment by a very relieved Yunhyeong. A half-coherent _Thanks June!_ was heard over the sound of the door being locked and then Junhoe was alone.

Twenty minutes later he was still alone, sitting across the hall with nothing to do. Yunhyeong hadn’t given him his headphones so he played his music quietly which probably looked really fucking lame. He wasn’t worried about disturbing the new neighbors because they were playing their own music at the moment, loud enough to be heard somewhat distinctly in the hallway. It was probably disturbing Yun a little. The thought made Junhoe smile. 

It was the little victories.

He was fiddling with his playlist when music that wasn’t Junhoe’s blasted into the hallway, surprising him enough to lose his grip on his phone, then quieted down again as his neighbors’ door opened and closed. 

He looked up and saw who he was pretty sure was the oldest of the guys who’d moved in. His name was… Jinhwan? Sounded right.

His neighbor bonked his head against his door, murmuring something to himself. He turns around and starts upon seeing Junhoe.

“Jun… Junhoe?”

He nodded his head politely, dusting off his pants as he stood.

“You surprised me,” they said at the same time, chuckling after.

Junhoe wasn’t very familiar with his new neighbors yet, in fact they’d only met twice before. Once on their actual move-in day when Junhoe had been running late for his shift at the coffee shop and he almost crashed into the trio, apologetically telling them who he was and that he was running late. The second was a few days after when they came to knock on his and Yun’s door to properly introduce themselves, but they hadn’t been able to talk long because the landlord came by with some extra papers they needed to look over. 

As he looked at his neighbor closely now, he found him more... aesthetically pleasing than he remembered.

“What are you doing out here?” asked Jinhwan, leaning against his door.

“Roommate kicked me out,” he said. 

“Yunhyeong, right?”

“My roommate? Yeah. He said I was ‘distracting him’ from studying. You?”

“Same deal. One of mine, Bobby, wanted some… ‘alone time’.” 

“Ah,” Junhoe wiggled his eyebrows at that as he racked his brain for the third roommate.

“And, uh– Hanbin?”

“I imagine he wanted some as well,” said Jinhwan.

“They’re having ‘alone time’… together?”

Jinhwan glanced at the ceiling, a calculating tone in his voice, “I find it works better for me when I don’t think too hard about what they get up to, separately or together, during alone time.”

A short silence filled the air between them, Junhoe grinning at his neighbor’s flustered fidgeting, before Jinhwan spoke up again, “Are you set on lingering in the hall for the rest of the night or do you want to go get, I don’t know, ice cream?”

The thought of spending more time sitting in the hallway by himself had Junhoe getting up so fast his phone almost fell out of his hands again, “Yes. Absolutely. To the ice cream, I mean.”

They didn’t say much as they made their way out of their building and headed towards the nearest convenience store. A light breeze passed through the street and Jinhwan exhaled almost inaudibly, Junhoe refrained from rubbing the other’s arms like he would for, say, Yun as he wasn’t sure whether or not Jinhwan welcomed such familiarities. The street wasn’t too busy and thankfully it wasn’t that dark either. It’d be a shame to eat that ice cream indoors.

The store doors opened and they greeted the worker behind the counter before they searched for the ice cream. With a hand poking around for a strawberry option, Junhoe said, “Do you want to eat these at the park? I don’t think it’s too far and it’s nice out.”

Jinhwan gave him a surprised look but nodded nonetheless. They took their goods to the register where Jinhwan paid for both before Junhoe realized. By the time he started to protest Jinhwan has pocketed his wallet and accepted the bag from the cashier.

They’re greeted by fresh air on their way out, “Ah, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Just being a good neighbor,” Jinhwan lilted, a small grin playing on his lips.

A more noticeable shiver racked his neighbor’s body and Junhoe didn’t think twice before he was tugging his hoodie over his head.

“What are you–” Jinhwan was interrupted by the bag being taken from his hand and the hoodie landing unceremoniously on his head. He let it sit on top of his shoulders for a bit as if thinking on whether or not to accept, not that Junhoe could really tell though, Jinhwan’s head was completely engulfed by the fabric. Ultimately, the shorter wriggled until he was wearing it properly.

He squinted at Junhoe who couldn't help but give a little smirk, “Just being a good neighbor.” 

Jinhwan rolled his eyes at that, raising a hand to fix his hair, “Thanks.”

Junhoe tried not to think too hard about how he didn’t want to look away from the small, habitual movement and set his eyes forward, prompting them both to trudge forward. 

 

 

There weren't many people at the park when they got there, so they walked a little bit before they found a place to sit. Eventually, Jinhwan pointed at a bench and the both of them nodded, sitting down and getting their respective ice creams from the plastic bag. Junhoe had his first spoonful by the time his neighbor opened his. He stole a look at said neighbor. 

Jinhwan was pretty attractive, Junhoe didn’t have to struggle too much to reach that conclusion. Despite the dark overgrown hair and the clothing to match, his neighbor was a pretty pleasant guy, plus Jinhwan was relatively small compared to Junhoe, which usually didn’t do anything for him but for some reason he was finding it really… cute?

“So, how’s life on the other side of the wall?” asked Jinhwan, interrupting the silent air of the park, startling Junhoe.

“Um, good? Good. It’s fine. Yunhyeong is a good roommate,” answered Junhoe, then realized he should ask something back, “What’s it like with three of you in one apartment?”

“It’s… never boring, especially with those two,” chuckled Jinhwan, kicking his heels against the ground as he talks.

“Sounds like it, too,” said Junhoe, spooning some strawberry ice cream into his mouth.

His neighbor groaned, letting his head fall back against the bench, “I’m _sorry_. I know they can get loud. I’m honestly surprised we haven’t had a noise complaint. The shit they get away with… is truly amazing.”

Jinhwan shook his head at the sky, reminiscent of a sixty–year–old. They sat and worked on finishing their ice creams.

“And you?” Junhoe piped up. Jinhwan gave him a questioning look and Junhoe’s throat felt dry, all of a sudden. 

He tries again after licking off his spoon, putting more effort into his teasing, “You don’t do amazing shit and get away with it?” 

Jinhwan looked surprised at the question but Junhoe gained confidence when he saw a streak of bashfulness on his neighbor’s otherwise poised face.

“It’s our first time hanging out and you’re already trying to expose me?” Jinhwan tutted at him, exaggerated head shake and all.

“You used ‘they’ an awful lot,” he trailed off, raising his eyebrows in anticipation.

A beat of silence followed as Jinhwan thought of his response. 

“Listen,” his neighbor started off, smiles fighting for spots on both their faces, “First, I’m the most composed of the three. In comparison, my shit is not _that_ amazing. It’s relative within the living situation. Second, I’m older than you and you have the _nerve_ to question– _stop laughing_ –”

His argument didn’t get much further than that.

 

 

“I wouldn’t have taken you for the fruity kind,” said Jinhwan on their way back to their complex, ice creams finished and respective roommates done with… whatever they had been occupied with.

“Why? Everyone’s gotta like chocolate?”

“Um, okay, first of all, they didn’t have cookies and cream which is my usual choice, alright? I had to compromise. I acknowledge chocolate as safe, but it’s safe for a reason,” Jinhwan talks with his hands, Junhoe had noticed over their course of their impromptu mini-picnic, yet he never got any ice cream on the hoodie.

“Basic, yes, and delicious? Always. But strawberry? A dangerous game, if you ask me.”

Junhoe laughed, making the climb towards their floor more tiresome than necessary. He looked at his door almost with disdain once they reach it.

“Thanks for taking me out, neighbor,” said Junhoe, hoping to fluster his neighbor just once more.

Jinhwan breathed out abruptly and blinked, “You’re not bad company, Junhoe. Maybe I’ll do it again sometime.”

Junhoe could feel his pout fade away in surprise, along with a different, stranger feeling, so he quickly uttered out a ‘Goodnight, Jinhwan’ and then he flung himself into his apartment, past a startled Yunhyeong, and into bed. 

Or, something like that. 

That left Junhoe under his sheets (after a hasty shower and a half-assed recap of his evening for his roommate) trying very hard not to think too hard about his neighbor’s mole, or his hair, or how funny he is, or how unfairly powerful he is despite having such a tiny body. A tiny body that Junhoe wanted to wrap up and keep under a pile of blankets and, okay, there’s really no neighborly explanation for any of that, but they’re barely _acquaintances_ so maybe it’s best to hold off on feeling anything for the literal boy next door. 

Yeah, that’s perhaps the beginning of a plan. 

And then, it’s just Junhoe left in his bed to drift off, mind his own business, definitely not have vivid images of his evening presented to him by his brain, much like a highlight reel. No picturing bright smiles, no fucking mole, no small hands poking out of his–

His hoodie.

Oh, no.

 

 

_Oh, no _, was right. Not _oh, no, I forgot my hoodie_. This was _oh, no, all I can think about is Jinhwan using my hoodie and bringing it back smelling like him_. These very thoughts continued to pester Junhoe days later when he was in the mailroom and kept fumbling with the key to their little box. It really wasn’t that hard, collecting their bills and spam mail, yet an image of Jinhwan, for some reason, sleeping in the hoodie crept into his imagination and he was dropping the little stack of letters that he had fished out. __

“I just want… some peace,” he groaned to himself as he bent over to pick up the stray envelopes.

“Does Yunhyeong know you have such a hard time getting the mail?”

Junhoe jumped, proceeding to ram his head right into the corner of the little, metal mail door, sucking in a sharp breath as he crumpled back down. He shoved his head into his hands, in pain and embarrassment. Jinhwan, who was at fault for all of this if at least indirectly, had just witnessed Junhoe struggle with a basic independent living function for at least a solid minute then almost perform a self-lobotomy.

“Wow,” said Jinhwan, Junhoe slowly looked up to see his neighbor trying very hard to contain a seemingly great amount of amusement. Poorly, evidently.

“Oh, my god. Please, you didn't see this, leave me here to suffer the effects of my brain trauma,” Junhoe didn’t try to stop the whining in his voice. This is it. This is where the universe decided his once blossoming first impression lead to; a poor fool sitting on the floor of his mail room, envelopes scattered around him like the fallen petals of the tree that is his dignity, hot neighbor standing with a hand over his mouth, truly taking it all in to forever associate the tableau with Junhoe for the rest of time.

“Well, that’s a bit dramatic,” Jinhwan let out a small laugh, finally approaching Junhoe. He helped pick up the mail strewn about and crouched down to look at the boy still hunkered over against the wall of mailboxes, “Are you okay, though? I have it from a good source that hard corners and skulls don’t mix nicely.”

Junhoe sighed, dropping his hands in defeat, “Yeah, it’ll be fine. Aches like hell, but I can’t stay on the ground and maintain the suave, unaffected image I’ve established for myself right?” That last bit was meant to ease his chagrin. However the fact that Yunhyeong had at one point used those words to describe ‘a persona’ Junhoe ‘put on’ when ‘picking up the occasional stranger’ made it feel too real.

“What, with me?” Jinhwan gave him a curious look before chuckling and gently ruffling his hair, “Don’t worry about that. Image somewhat solidly, maybe deep down, still in place.”

And Jinhwan sat there and smiled at him. Jinhwan’s small, warm hand was on Junhoe’s head, and–

“You’re wearing my hoodie.”

Peace was evidently not in his foreseeable future.

Jinhwan ducked his head as if to check if this was true and his face flushed slightly. “Ah, yeah, I was gonna come by and give it back, but it’s really comfortable and I put it on to check our box before going to drop it off. Sorry.”

He let out a little cough as they both stood, fingers playing with the hem. His bangs swung lightly around his breathtaking fucking face and _god_ what ever happened to Junhoe’s _plan_? 

“Um, no, yeah, that’s– don’t worry about it, you look– it looks good… on you.” Junhoe was, evidently, really close to reaching some kind of limit for the day. Any more of this and he would start combusting from the embarrassment that sloshed in his stomach. “I think I’m gonna go now, with my mail, yeah that’s– yeah,” and he was fast-walking out of there, hoping to forget everything that transpired by putting distance between himself and the mailroom. 

“But your–”

“I’ll get it back eventually!” Junhoe shouted but didn’t look back, waving a hand over his head, not wasting any time in booking it all the way to his building. When he got back Yunhyeong asks him what had him worked up enough to choke the life out of their mail. Junhoe looked down to see the few envelopes they’d received indeed crushed in his hand. He just made a pitiful noise and fell backwards onto their dingy couch.

 

 

A few days later, Junhoe decided to have some initiative. It was a little late because he had to stop by three different stores before he found what he was looking for but nonetheless he found himself knocking on his neighbors’ door, waiting as someone in the apartment yelled only to be yelled at in response. There was some shuffling before the lock made a _shick_ sound and a disheveled Hanbin poked his head out. It took him a moment to recognize who was standing in front of him, the slow blinks gave way to wide eyes and a smile. Junhoe was tempted to call it a knowing smile but, despite the fact that he’s barely begun seeing them more and more, he’s seen Hanbin almost fall down the stairs too many times to be confident with that train of thought.

“Neighbor!” Hanbin exclaimed.

“Neighbor!” Junhoe echoed back and Hanbin’s smile widened along with the door.

“What’s that?” The question was directed at the convenience store bag Junhoe had brought with him.

“Ice cream, is Jinhwan home?” 

Hanbin looked at the bag again then into the apartment behind him.

“I have some for you and Bobby, as well,” added Junhoe and Hanbin was patting him hard on the back to usher him inside. The apartment wasn’t too different from his own except for the evidence of a third roommate lying around here and there. A faint beeping came from the kitchen and half the lights were off.

“Sick! Very nice of you, I’ll call for Jinhwan,” he turned away from Junhoe, arm still slung around him, and yelled, “Jinhwan! Junhoe is here! Bobby, Junhoe is here–with ice cream!”

Bobby’s head rose over the back of the couch to peer at them, “Bin, I’m right here. Hi, Junhoe, Jinhwan is in the bathroom. What’s the ice cream for?”

“Just… being neighborly,” Junhoe decided not to call it a flat-out bribe.

“Oh?” Bobby’s eyes crinkled as he tilted his head to the side. Now _that_ Junhoe would more confidently call a knowing look.

It’s then that Jinhwan walked in, “Who was at the– oh, hello, Junhoe?”

Junhoe only answered the questioning look thrown his way by pulling out two little containers from the bag then handing it over to Hanbin who thanked him (squeals) and ran over to Bobby. He discreetly tucked the strawberry under his arm and held up the other one labeled _Cookies & Cream_, “I was hoping a certain favorite flavor of yours would wipe your memory of a certain recent event?”

Jinhwan’s brows smoothed over and he gave a short laugh. His eyes flicked down to the ice cream in Junhoe’s outstretched hand and if Junhoe really allowed himself to reach, he might’ve say there was some fondness in his neighbors glance. He accepted the ice cream but didn’t say anything as he kept looking at Junhoe.

Then finally, “What recent event?”

Junhoe scrunched his face up, wondering how much he’d have to relive before Jinhwan was satisfied, “You know the other day, with the mail–”

“No,” Jinhwan interrupted, fighting a grin, “I _don't_ know what day.”

Now, Junhoe stood blinking at his neighbor and tried to keep himself from rampaging over how cute Jinhwan was. Too cute. Unfairly so.

In all likelihood another stretch of silence would have followed had Hanbin not abruptly spoken up, “Hey, you gonna stay for movie night?”

“What?”

“You should, so we aren’t in neighborly debt,” Hanbin looked rather pleased with himself and he waved a spoon in Junhoe’s direction. Junhoe hesitated, he hadn’t gotten the chance to hang out with all three of them, but Jinhwan didn’t look displeased with the idea and Yunhyeong was studying again, leaving his own apartment pretty dull.

“Are you sure that’s fine?” 

Jinhwan just gave his shoulder a pat and gestured towards the couch, walking into the kitchen where the microwave was still beeping. Bobby sat at one end with his feet propped up on a beanbag shoved against the couch while Hanbin flicked through a bunch of titles on the television screen. As Junhoe sat at the opposite end Hanbin settled on a movie and raised his eyebrows at Junhoe who didn’t recognize it but gave a nod anyway.

Jinhwan came back from the kitchen and sat in between Junhoe and Bobby, giving a spoon to the former and a bag of popcorn to the latter (whose empty ice cream cup had been thrown away at some point). Junhoe and Jinhwan finally dug into their own desserts and Hanbin sprawled himself onto the beanbag to fly through the main menu, disturbing Bobby in the process.

“Is this that western movie again?” Jinhwan asked as the opening showed a panning shot of the ocean while blocky letters switched to the beat of the background music.

“Maybe,” was all he got in response.

Junhoe leaned down, spoonful of strawberry ice cream in his mouth, “What movie?”

“It’s kind of obscure, those two like it because there’s a lot of yelling. It’s not that bad, but the plot doesn’t get any more interesting after, say, the fourth or fifth time.”

Junhoe looked back at the screen right as the words ‘ _SNAKES ON A PLANE_ ’ were fading from an aerial shot of an island.

 

 

Apparently it really was the fourth or fifth time Jinhwan had had to sit through the film because despite all the yelling from both sides of the screen (Hanbin and Bobby, truly, were having a fantastic time) he was slouched into the cushions a third of the way in. Junhoe’s attention kept flicking from the plane full of reptiles to the spoon drooping out of Jinhwan’s mouth every time he started nodding off. A loud gunshot or especially colorful swearing would startle him from sleep and he’d try to blink it away, stray pieces of his bangs poking his cheeks. Junhoe wasn’t sure how he’d lasted all this time but whatever strange rein he had on his feelings thus far was starting to slip. 

He startled when a shout pierced the air and next to him Jinhwan gave a tired huff then without warning slumped against Junhoe.

“Don’t mind me,” said Jinhwan, resting his ear on Junhoe’s shoulder, “I’ve seen this too many times.”

Junhoe worked very hard not to choke on the spit he had inhaled while Jinhwan was talking and the flush that poured into his face was very little help. He waved his hand in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner and tried to thump a fist against his chest without jostling the literal angel using him as a pillow. By the time his lungs weren’t rebelling against him there were tears in his eyes and Jinhwan looked close to sleep again. This time the loud effects of the movie did little to bother his neighbor and Junhoe tried to relax under him.

The late hour and warm body slowly lulled him into a strange half-sleep. He registered a cackle from Bobby and a shift in the couch. Junhoe cracked an eye open to see Jinhwan had slid down, his head in Junhoe’s lap. Junhoe relaxed his neck and wasn’t really thinking when he nimbly dropped a hand on top of his neighbor’s head, running it through the soft, dark locks. A soft noise of assent came from Jinhwan and Junhoe managed another fifteen minutes of the movie with a smile on his lips before he drifted off too. 

 

 

“How the fuck did you old men manage to sleep through _Snakes on a Plane_?” 

Junhoe jolted awake when someone threw a pillow at him. Hanbin’s face was extremely close, a look of disbelief and wonder aimed at Junhoe that had him scrambling for an answer he didn’t have. Bobby, in the process of turning on the lights, grabbed the back of Hanbin’s shirt gently to widen the space between them and said, “Who knows? Looked comfy though.”

“Junhoe is a good pillow,” a voice said from his lap. Junhoe looked down to find his hand still in Jinhwan’s hair. Jinhwan, who was blinking slowly, hands tucked close to his chest and an apologetic smile on his face. “Sorry about being all over you, by the way.”

Jinhwan was a little flushed when he sat up, Junhoe hopes no one noticed how worse off he was.

“I didn’t mind,” he said. He was too tired for instant regret.

“Okay.” 

The short reply hung in the air before everyone except Junhoe was getting up and moving around, presumably straightening out the living room.

“Uh, do you guys need help with anything?”

“No, don’t worry about it, you should probably get going right?” answered Bobby.

“Oh, yeah, it’s late,” Jinhwan popped out from behind the couch, “let me walk you out.” 

Junhoe didn’t remember how Jinhwan got behind the couch and didn’t get to think on it before his neighbor was power walking into his bedroom instead of the entrance.

In the kitchen Hanbin’s _‘Walk you out to the next door over in the hallway?’_ was cut off by a choking noise and a shush.

Junhoe said goodbye to Bobby and Hanbin and edged closer towards the front door, “Jinhwan, um, it’s fine! Thanks for having me, I’ll be going.”

He had the door open when Jinhwan appeared again, hair a little windswept and a bundle in his hands. 

“Here, I washed it, hope that was okay,” the bundle was Junhoe’s folded hoodie. Fondness flooded Junhoe’s brain, his chest, his innards–well, whatever a better word for innards would be–as he took his hoodie back, desperately holding himself back from word-vomiting different variations of _of course it’s okay, god you’re so fucking cute, please keep my hoodie and all my belongings_.

“Maybe I should let you borrow more of my clothes,” he laughed even though suddenly he wasn’t too tired for instant regret. 

Jinhwan just smiled at him because Jinhwan was his neighbor who lived next door and always smiles at him despite Junhoe always saying unintentional off-kilter pick-ups. 

“I should go,” concluded Junhoe. He gave another thanks, ducked his head in farewell, then took the four steps necessary to reach his own front door. One last wave and he was inside, hoodie in his clutches and by himself. All by his lonesome. 

“So,” Junhoe jumped; something he’s been doing a lot, not sure why. 

“How are the neighbors?”

He looked around the corner to find Yunhyeong in the living room sitting in the dark aside from the reading light he had set up on his book.

“Dude,” Junhoe exhaled, “why’re you just lurking with all the lights off?”

“I was taking a break from studying.”

“With another book? In complete darkness?”

Yunhyeong paused to look down at his book then in the direction of his study desk.

“Yes.”

“How… Count-like of you, Yoyo. Also, potentially damaging for your vision, but that’s on you,” said Junhoe, on his way to his room.

“Perhaps, _June_. And _please_ if anything’s giving out first it’s my back– but anyways, the neighbors? Three-Kim? Kim Cubed? How are they?”

“They’re fine? Fun, or whatever,” Junhoe squinted at his roommate, “I brought them ice cream and they invited me to watch a movie.”

“I knew it.”

“Knew– know what?”

Yunhyeong sighed and finally put his book down. By the sound of it, he shuffled along the wall until he hit the light switch and then they both could see again. He stood there, hands on his hips, “You’re cheating on me.”

Mind still on Jinhwan, Junhoe’s confusion only deepened at this. He blinked as his eyes adjusted and didn’t have time to answer before Yunhyeong kept going, “Not with one roommate. Not two. Three. Three entire roommates, all of which are not me, and basically come in a set. All within walking distance. You don’t even have the decency to have this _affair_ in a different complex?”

“Oh, wow,” Junhoe managed, Yunhyeong was so tired he was botching the delivery of an okay joke. “All those books have finally fried your brain.”

“At least they didn’t fry my heart.” 

A pointed look at Junhoe followed.

“You should sleep,” he sighed, a weird feeling of burnt-out adrenaline settled in his bones.

“Make me tea?” suggested Yunhyeong. 

With some struggling and a ‘bad’ cup of tea (“if you’re too bothered to make it yourself, don’t complain, asshole”), Junhoe eventually sent his roommate off to bed. 

Junhoe was about to walk out, after making sure Yunhyeong wasn’t going to sneak out from under the sheets to cram in another chapter, when his roommate said, “So, Jinhwan, huh?”

Junhoe almost crashed into the threshold. He spun around and opened his mouth only to shut it again. Yunhyeong looked smug despite the fact that his comforter was tightly tucked in around his body and his eyes were puffy from lack of sleep. Junhoe thought of possible responses to no avail. There was no point in hiding or lying, Yunhyeong was too observant and, knowing the older boy, he was bringing it up for the satisfaction of being correct, not to hold the information over Junhoe’s head. 

Information that, Junhoe would add, he had just begun to realize himself.

In the end, he straightened himself out and shrugged, “Guess so.”

He left, turning the light off behind him. 

There was a small scoff, “You’re too obvious to hang on to _suave and unaffected_ now.” 

“Goodnight, Yun!” Junhoe yelled from the bathroom.

“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight.”

Junhoe tried his hardest not to agonize over what ‘You’re too obvious’ meant.

 

 

“What did you mean by ‘obvious’?” Junhoe asked the next day on their way to their apartment, both carrying bags of groceries.

Yunhyeong’s laugh rang out in the street, startling a nearby vendor.

 

 

One Friday, Junhoe and Yunhyeong found themselves invited to their neighbors’ night out at an old, tucked away basketball court.

“Rust won’t hurt a _bad bitch_ , Jinhwan.”

“Hanbin, please don’t, you’ll get tetanus.” 

Despite Jinhwan’s pleas Hanbin made a break for it, gearing up to hang off a basketball hoop, and Junhoe watched as the shorter boy literally body checked Hanbin mid-jump and mid-yell. 

“Tetanus won’t hurt a _ba- oomph_ ,” echoed throughout the abandoned court. 

Bobby was laughing so hard he was on the ground; Yunhyeong had been smarter than Junhoe and put down his water while watching the takedown. Junhoe had water all over his shirt and Yunhyeong accused him of spitting on his jeans.

He could see that Jinhwan was laughing too, even as he hoisted himself off Hanbin and asked the other if the other was okay. He was sitting, yet Junhoe almost dropped the bottle he was picking up when he saw Jinhwan’s eyes crinkle at Hanbin’s whining. 

“I can’t believe you just tackled me _in front of our neighbors_.” Junhoe accidentally let out another laugh that rang across the court, eliciting a groan from Hanbin. Yunhyeong chuckled lowly while Bobby ran over to bother his friend further.

Jinhwan ruffled Hanbin’s hair, “Don’t worry Binnie, they think you’re much cooler knowing you survived such brutal impact from such a freakishly powerful force.” 

Freakishly powerful force, indeed.

Yunhyeong nudged Junhoe with his foot and gave him a look that clearly said _you’re being obvious, June_ , all lilt-y and knowing. Junhoe capped his water bottle before lunging for his roommate’s leg, succeeding in trapping his shoe and getting some fun sounds out of the boy. Yunhyeong crawled away frantically, leaving his shoe in Junhoe’s clutches. Junhoe, still seated, wound his arm back and threw the shoe at Yunhyeong’s head, reveling in the shocked yelp he got in response and the grin on Bobby’s face. Hanbin said something about ‘abusive roommates’ and Yunhyeong seemed to have found his refuge.

“Sorry about him,” Jinhwan was suddenly standing next to him, his hands in the pockets of his joggers. He probably saw the shoe-chucking.

“I think I want the words ‘rust won’t hurt a _bad bitch_ ’ tattooed on me. I’m not sure where but I know I want them on me forever,” said Junhoe, leaning back on his hands to look up at his neighbor. Jinhwan smiled big and shook his head at the sky. Hanbin, Bobby, and Yunhyeong were all up and starting another match.

“Are you having fun?” Jinhwan asked after a few minutes of watching their friends play something more akin to monkey in the middle than basketball.

“Uh, yeah, it’s weird seeing Yunhyeong running around, but I’m glad we’re all hanging out. It’s nice.”

“That was an old man answer, June.”

Junhoe’s heart thumped at the nickname, Jinhwan must’ve heard Yunhyeong use it at some point.

“Appropriate for your old man question,” he scoffed. His neighbor turned and suddenly crouched down to gape in Junhoe’s face.

“Me? _Old?_ Where’s the respect then, huh?” Jinhwan raised his eyebrows and pointed an indignant finger at his chest, poking repeatedly, “Huh?” He kept leaning closer, his scandalized expression daring the younger to repeat what he’d said.

Junhoe wasn’t sure if his arms could take his weight for much longer so he straightened them, only Jinhwan didn’t move and now Junhoe had to go cross-eyed to focus on the other’s face. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, I’m very polite,” he responded, unwilling to be the first one to back off even though his brain was close to short-circuiting. 

_This is dangerously close to kissing distance, Junhoe. Don’t think about the mole, Junhoe. Must be a good last view, huh, Junhoe? Last view before you die? I’m dying. You’re fucking dying. Why are you thinking in the third person, huh, Junhoe?_

Jinhwan tilted his head, their noses drawing even closer, “I’m not sure if yo–”

“Have seventeen centimeters on you? Me neither, you know, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say it’s closer to twenty.” 

His neighbor jerked away from him, now genuinely scandalized. Well, as scandalized as a guy Junhoe had found to be pretty underwhelming when it comes to reactions could look. But most importantly Junhoe could breathe again.

“I can’t believe this,” Jinhwan clutched his chest, “a height jab.”

Junhoe thought his cheeks would start hurting if he kept smiling so much, lately it was commonplace to see his neighbor’s playful side. Either the antics were a result of the rapport they’ve begun to develop or Jinhwan was content to let both of them act comfortably (or, in Junhoe’s wildest dreams, both).

“Ah, how the mighty have–” Junhoe begun to lament before a hand on his arm abruptly pulled him forward. He toppled over into the space between Jinhwan’s bent legs, sending them both to the ground. The sound of a basketball slamming into the low cement wall not too far behind them and a late ‘watch out!’ registered in the back of his mind, but he was focused on not falling any further onto Jinhwan. The dry gravel dug into his hands where he had caught himself on either side of his neighbor. Jinhwan’s body was right there, under his, and he needed to not think about that too hard. He huffed out a breath and shot a glare at the trio who seemed to have unanimously agreed on staying quiet about who the guilty party was.

The hand still curled around his elbow brought his attention back to Jinhwan. After squinting at his roommates he faced Junhoe, leaning his head back to give him a once-over. Funnily enough Junhoe had never given hands or being checked out so blatantly much thought, but he knew little else would be plaguing his mind before sleep that night.

“Maybe… that’s enough basketball for today.” 

No one really objected.

 

 

Days later, Junhoe walked out of his apartment to find Jinhwan sitting against the wall, poking around on his phone absentmindedly.

“Oh?” He said, this time making Jinhwan start.

“Would the Kim Cubed residence happen to be… very occupied by only two thirds of its total population at the moment?” 

Jinhwan looked up, “…yeah.”

“Ice cream?” Junhoe suggested and Jinhwan nodded readily, dusting his pants as he got up.

“Do you need to do something though?”

“What do you mean?” 

“Was there a reason you were leaving your place?”

“Oh,” Junhoe thought about the last ten minutes. 

Yunhyeong had nonchalantly slid into his room, “Looks like someone’s been kicked out of his apartment.”

“What?” 

Yunhyeong had only tilted his head towards the entrance, a meaningful tilt to his brows.

Junhoe had just stared hard at his roommate in silence before offering his guess.

“Is it… me? Are you… telling me… to get out…?”

He’d never seen Yunhyeong’s face deadpan so quickly.

“No– you– how– you know what? Yeah. It’s you. Leave.”

Realization had hit Junhoe as soon as he stepped out of his door. He barely heard Yunhyeong muttering _hopeless_ from inside the apartment, before collecting himself and talking to Jinhwan.

“I was actually kicked out, too.”

Jinhwan clicked his tongue and started down the stairs, “Well, then! Guess we have time to go _meander_.”

“‘Walk’.” Junhoe felt the evening chill as they left the shelter of their complex.

His neighbor scoffed, “You know, at our age, it’s pretty normal to have a bigger vocabulary than an eight–year–old.”

“Um,” Junhoe threw his head to the side, “You can fuck right off with your eight-year-old hate speech, Jinhwan. I just won’t stand for it.”

“I can ‘fuck right off’?” Jinhwan’s voice dropped to a whisper as they passed an elderly couple on a walk, but he craned his neck to squint at Junhoe, “Have you always talked like that or have you been hanging out with Hanbin too much?”

Junhoe fought the flush sparked by the attention.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve cursed in front of you and, regardless, I used swear words long before I met Hanbin,” he said, opening the door to the convenience store and following Jinhwan in, “plus it doesn’t feel weird around you.”

He left the words hanging in the air as they stood in front of the ice cream once again.

Next to him Jinhwan blinked quietly before tilting his head in Junhoe’s direction.

“I’m glad,” said Jinhwan and the warmth in his expression made Junhoe want to melt right then and there. How was the ice cream still intact? How was this little convenience store still standing with the most precious human being standing inside of it? Well, he should probably be grateful that it is, they’d both be in trouble if suddenly it _wasn’t_ standing–

“Hey, look!” Jinhwan ripped Junhoe from the distressing image that had started building in his head.

“Hm?”

A container is held gingerly in his face, “They’ve got cookies and cream!”

Jinhwan gave a cheeky smile and quietly threw his fist in the air in victory.

Junhoe probably imagined the groan that came from the building. 

 

 

“So,” Jinhwan started as they sat on a bench in the park, “strawberry again?”

“If you want to try some, you could just ask,” Junhoe sing-songed, waving his spoon in the air. 

Jinhwan blew some fringe out of his eyes with a huff, “You take me for a defector?”

“No, I take you as someone who doesn’t want to admit that they want to try some of this _delightful_ strawberry ice cream.”

His neighbor’s eyes flicked from the strawberry label to Junhoe to the spoon then to his own ice cream, “Preposterous.” Then he dug into his cookies and cream, somewhat defiantly.

“Be honest with me,” said Junhoe, getting the other’s attention. 

“Do you always talk like this or have you been hanging out with Yunhyeong too much?”

Jinhwan’s lips stretched around the spoon still in his mouth at the reversal of his own words. 

“I say– I’ve been– wait, fuck, what was it? Uh,” Jinhwan looked at the sky as he thought on something. Suddenly, his face brightened and he stretched himself out on the bench, rare shit-eating grin on his face, “I used big boy words _long_ before I met Yunhyeong.”

“ _God_ ,” Junhoe groaned into his hands, hiding despite the very empty park they were in.

There was some shuffling next to him and a voice close to his ear continued, “Plus… it doesn’t… feel wei–”

If Junhoe were in an animation, there’d be several exclamation marks scribbled over his head. He did _not_ need Jinhwan regurgitating his cheesy sentiments as even cheesier pick-ups. He scooped some ice cream onto his spoon and shoved it in Jinhwan’s mouth before he could finish the line.

He snatched his hand back to his chest almost immediately after. He’d almost touched Jinhwan’s lips and Junhoe already had a hard time maintaining his sleep schedule without knowing what they felt like.

“How’s that feel? Or, taste, I mean.”

“Huh,” Jinhwan said next to him, pulling out the spoon in his mouth. “Firstly, I very well could have choked on this small spoon and died, I hope you know that. Second, strawberry is…”

Jinhwan looked into the distance contemplatively.

“Not the worst.”

“A-ha! I’ll take it,” Junhoe relaxed a little, “I’m sure that can be the next slogan for all the fruit-flavors.” He stretched his hand out, brandishing an imaginary banner.

“Not the worst,” they said in unison, giggling shortly after on their lone park bench. 

Jinhwan’s nose scrunched as he settled down and Junhoe felt light, like he could float away at any moment. He did not, however, instead sitting back as well, so close to the other that they touched. Junhoe stayed where he was and they both quietly finished up their cups. 

Next to him, he felt his neighbor shake slightly. Junhoe turned in confusion to see Jinhwan gripping his spoon and pursing his lips to suppress a shiver.

“Ah, really,” he grumbled but still moved to take off his hoodie, “why do you go out without a jacket if you know you’ll get cold?”

“I am _not_ cold,” Jinhwan protested, eyeing the hoodie.

Junhoe just waited a few seconds before the next shiver came over him to give him a pointed look.

“I was fine when we left!” Jinhwan insisted, snatching the jacket before it could get thrown at him like last time, “It’s probably because we’re eating something cold in the cold. Not that it’s cold though, I’m just saying with the ice cream I’m suddenly chilly on the inside _and_ outside.”

“We could start buying other snacks…?”

“And break this budding tradition? Is that what you want? Is that someone you take me as?” Jinhwan rambled on, adjusting the large pullover around his torso.

Junhoe only hummed, spooning the last of his strawberry ice cream into his mouth. As the sweet taste filled his mouth he thought of the last time they went out like this and all the little things that were different. 

Before, Junhoe had had no idea if he’d ever hang out with his neighbor casually again, now he, along with Yun, hangs out with all three of them. The conversation was more comfortable; they were closer with each other, perhaps even friends. Junhoe’s fleeting _what if _had evolved into something more intense, which he still wasn’t sure how he was handling. Before, the mailroom incident hadn’t already happened, but he also hadn’t known what it was like to run his fingers through Jinhwan’s hair. He’d known what his neighbor’s polite smile looked like, but he had been completely oblivious to the nature of his relationship with Hanbin and Bobby, what they brought out of him. And, wow, apparently, Junhoe was _really_ fucking whipped which was rude to realize all of a sudden, especially in the presence of Jinhwan himself. Jinhwan who was talking to him. Shit.__

____

____

“–taste of the ice cream?”

Junhoe blinked and tried to piece together what his neighbor had said by the words he caught and Jinhwan’s face, but came up with nothing.

“Sorry, spaced out, what?”

Jinhwan squinted, “You just want me to stroke your fruit-flavored ego.”

“No, what? No. I actually didn’t hear you.”

“I asked if I could have another taste of the ice cream.”

“Oh, yeah–” he looked down to see his empty cup, “wait no, sorry, I ate it all.”

“Hm?” It’s only then that Jinhwan looked into the cup in Junhoe’s hand and saw for himself that all the strawberry ice cream was indeed gone, “Oh, that’s fine, I don’t know why I didn’t just look, my bad. Sorry I said your ego was fruit-flav–”

“You can still taste it, in a more… unconventional way.”

Jinhwan screeched to a halt and Junhoe felt like his own eyes were about to roll out of his skull. _What_ the fuck did he just say? _Why_ the fuck did he– oh, god. Junhoe wanted to be swallowed up by this very park bench. Junhoe wanted to take twenty swings of the little mail door to his skull and go back in time a minute and knock some sense into himself. But that shit hurt, and Junhoe wasn’t sure if he believed in time travel anyway, so he needed to say something before it was silent for too long and he couldn’t salvage the situation.

“That is, if you’re up for it.” 

Junhoe managed to give an eyebrow wiggle despite the fact that he wanted to set himself on fire. 

That was salvaging the situation? 

He was too far in to stop now. This was it. This was the end.

Jinhwan blinked before quirking an eyebrow, “Oh?”

Junhoe sucked in a breath through his teeth and gave a slight shrug, choking out a response.

“Yeah.”

Very suave. Very unaffected. 

“Really really?” His neighbor prodded, sitting up more to be level with Junhoe.

His face was _right there_ and Junhoe felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. Just right out of his chest and onto the grass next to them. 

“Really really.”

“For the flavor then, huh?” Jinhwan quipped before he slid a hand on the side of Junhoe’s neck, goose bumps immediately rising around the area.

Junhoe did his best to choke out another _yeah_ but at this point it was a lost cause because the distance between them was decreasing really fast– and wow his lips were touching his neighbor’s.

There was a stall at first as if Jinhwan was waiting to see if Junhoe would move away.

But, Junhoe? Junhoe was dead. 

Gone. 

Deceased.

However, this was _not_ the time to be a corpse, that would be entirely more mortifying than any of the other shit he had done in front of his neighbor combined, and Junhoe didn’t want Jinhwan to think either of them misunderstood something. So, he willed his entire body to stop freaking out and forced out a little exhale to relax. He was Junhoe. At some level, he was actually suave. Not unaffected, never unaffected, actually. Fuck unaffected. But suave? Junhoe was suave as shit.

Junhoe raised his own hand to wrap it lightly around Jinhwan’s wrist, giving the tiniest nod to signal that he was good. He felt Jinhwan grin again as he pressed down on his lips a little, his nose poked Junhoe’s cheek as he tilted his head. Jinhwan’s lips were as soft as he’d imagined they’d be except he had never taken into account how warm he would be. Not just his lips but all of him. The hand on his neck, the small breaths that hit his face, his cheeks. His skin was so soft, Junhoe couldn’t help reaching both hands out to cup the other’s face.

Jinhwan gave a little sigh and Junhoe almost passed out. 

He brought him a little closer right when Jinhwan’s tongue darted out against his lip. Junhoe halted for a second because, _oh_.

_Oh_ , indeed.

Junhoe kissed him again, slowly parting his lips. Jinhwan’s hand slid down to grip at Junhoe’s shirt like an anchor. His neighbor’s hair poked at where his fingers reached the other’s nape and they bumped noses while readjusting angles. The kiss stayed pretty shallow though, light presses and the tiniest swipes, somewhere in the back of their minds they were fully aware that they were still in a public park.

Junhoe pulled away when he realized the tight feeling in his chest was partly because he needed to _breathe_ and the small inhales through his nose weren’t really cutting it with how fast his heart was beating. He looked at Jinhwan who looked dazed, only snapping out of it when Junhoe reluctantly lowered his hands from his face.

“…Alright?” said Junhoe.

“Mm… not the worst,” Jinhwan was quick to reply, a little smile on his face.

“What? The ice cream or the kiss?”

Jinhwan raised his eyebrows at _kiss_ and it almost sounded like he giggled.

“Are _you_ eight years old?” Junhoe raised his eyebrows right back at him.

Jinhwan kept grinning at him, “ _No_ , I just thought you’d stick to calling it an ‘unconventional taste test’ or something.”

“Ah, no, I’m sorry to say that was definitely a kiss right then.”

His neighbor hummed and kicked his heels on the ground, eyes shining. The mole under his eye danced in its place and Junhoe thought back to when it first plagued his thoughts before sleep. He poked it softly, startling Jinhwan who had been looking at the tree branch above them.

“I think about you a lot,” he said, revealing both more than and not as much as he wanted to.

Jinhwan drew his focus back to Junhoe’s face, gauging the meaning behind the words.

“Outside of the neighbor-friend context, if that wasn’t obvious.”

“Oh, good,” Jinhwan’s nose scrunched at him, “I was wondering if your interest stopped at apartment-sitting and signing for each other’s deliveries.”

Junhoe rolled his eyes. He felt increasingly flustered as the events of the last ten minutes started sinking in, and the fact that Jinhwan hadn’t said anything embarrassing like _I think about you a lot, too, Junhoe, let's kiss again_ was not going over his head. Maybe Jinhwan didn’t want to know that Junhoe thought about him outside of the neighbor-friend context. Why did he even say ‘neighbor-friend context’? When else in his life had he ever put those words in that order? What a mess. What a fruity fucking mess.

“I think about you a lot too, Junhoe.”

What a time to be alive. What a fruity fucking time to be alive.

Jinhwan sat next to him in _his_ hoodie, smile never leaving his face, mole rising on his cheek. To say Junhoe was content on their park bench in the desolate little park would be quite the understatement. 

 

 

 

“I’m sorry what a– a what time to be alive?”

“Don’t worry about it, wanna kiss again?”

“One eight year old to another?”

“I’m– what? No, why would you say– gross.”

**Author's Note:**

> ahh first fic!! this was supposed to be a short one-shot lol I've been working on this off and on for 2-3 months which is absolute nonsense idk why I did that to myself, yoinks! also! I'd like to say that at first I was writing this in present-tense but then I decided I wanted it all past-tense, so if there's anything wacky in the tense sense that's why, I hope there isn't too much though bc I revised the shit out of this. anyway hope this was pleasant I have strong feelings abt junhwan and apartment!au's (as separate and combined things). comments would be gr8. hope everyone has a nice day :)) 
> 
> sidenote: I just typed out so many fucking italic tags oh ym go d.
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/itsmclovinbot) & [cc](https://curiouscat.me/lexiconartist)
> 
> (2/21) despite first a/n there was still tense mistakes here and there, so I hopefully fixed all of those this time around, sorry to everyone who read it before this update :// tbh it was hard not doing anything to the actual story/characterization but I think it's important to just let this fic be as a.) it was the first one I really grinded on w the goal of posting it on here, and b.) I'll just edit it to death instead of trying to write something new, so. what can you do! I'll work on improving and posting more, thank you to everyone who took the time to read this before and after this update!! make it a wonderful day folks! thanks again :)


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